Wayne Williams was elected Colorado’s 38th Secretary of State in 2014 with more votes than any other Secretary of State in Colorado history. Wayne was also the first sitting county election official elected as Colorado Secretary of State.

As Secretary of State, Wayne Williams strives to work with the staff to provide excellent customer service throughout the office. Wayne is committed to ensuring fair, honest, and open elections. He is the first Colorado Secretary of State to earn the nationally recognized Certified Elections/Registration Administrator designation. Prior to his election as Secretary, Wayne Williams served as the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder from 2011 to 2015, where he successfully ran elections in the state’s most populous county. As Clerk, Wayne Williams focused his efforts on expanding services to citizens by adding more than a dozen 24/7 drop boxes and consistently running elections that were both cost-effective and voter-friendly. Because of his expertise, he was selected by Democratic County Commissioners in San Luis Valley to run the recall election of their former County Clerk & Recorder. He also expanded access to online records and published instant wait times to help people spend less time waiting.

Williams also received the Medallion Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State for his efforts in protecting the right to vote during the fire-ravaged primary election in 2012. The Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance honored Wayne with the Regional Leader of the Year Award in December 2013. The award was presented for Wayne’s work in administering efficient and transparent elections and making processes easier for citizens and businesses.

Before serving as county clerk, citizens of El Paso County elected Wayne as Commissioner from 2003 to 2011. Wayne helped run Colorado’s lowest cost-per-citizen government, while addressing critical infrastructure needs. He played a key role in obtaining approval of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) and served as its Chairman.

Driven by public service and civic engagement, Wayne served as Vice Chairman of Colorado’s State Transportation Advisory Committee and three times as Chairman of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. Wayne also has served in various positions within the community, including Chairman of the Colorado Springs Housing Authority, Boy Scout Troop Committee Chairman, and member of the Board of Directors of the Pikes Peak Community Action Agency. He is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Wayne previously served as a full-time missionary in Alaska.

In addition to his service in elected office and the community, Wayne has operated a Colorado small business since 1998 in which his legal practice is focused on labor and employment law matters. Wayne also teaches employment law seminars throughout the nation and previously taught employment law at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Two Colorado legislatures selected Wayne to serve as one of Colorado's six representatives to the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws.

Wayne Williams graduated with honors from Brigham Young University in 1986 and from the University of Virginia Law School in 1989. Wayne was selected as a Harry S Truman Scholar and is a graduate of the Leadership Program of the Rockies.

Wayne has been married to his wife Holly for more than 28 years. Wayne and Holly live in Colorado Springs and have four children. Their two sons graduated from the University of Colorado and their two daughters presently attend Brigham Young University. Wayne and his family fell in love with Colorado and have lived in the Centennial State since 1992.